Halloween would-have-beens

Today is Halloween, and once again neither of my daughters is going out in a superhero costume. It's probably just as well, since girls' costumes tend to have at least bare legs because of the possibly-quite-short skirt, and very likely a bare stomach as well if you're Supergirl, and there's a small chance of snow tonight.

Last year the then-thirteen-year-old thought about making a Deadpool costume, but it turned out to be well beyond either of our costuming capabilities so it was a no-go.

So the kids will be returning home with SUGAR!!! and then watching some Universal horror (I've had a request for Frankenstein from the nine-year-old, but I'm guessing she means Bride of Frankenstein). I get to wait at home until it's time to pick up the older one in town.

So I'm not going anywhere myself, and I don't have a costume.

But if I did need a costume, I know what I'd go as, and I know what I'd need for the incredibly cheap costume: green makeup and pointy years. I'd be...a Skrull version of me.

Awesome, right?

Too bad it won't work for next year.

So there's a surprise?

There's a two week delay on the last Secret Invasion which will mean I don't get it until next year because of the whole comic shipping thing.

Nice cover, although Winter Cap still just looks wrong in the SuperDramatic Cap poses.

Holiday shopping fatigue already!

The nine-year-old has announced that what she wants for xmas is Minimates, and that I can expect a list of particulars soon. With any luck, the ones she wants will be ones that are available. I do not expect that sort of luck.

Survival rates

Action figures rated for durability:

1. DC Universe Classics
2. Hasbro Marvel Legends
3. Various DC Direct figures
4. Marvel Legends

The fourteen-year-old points out that these ratings are skewed by the fact that the Marvel Legends have probably seen the most use--we've been getting the Marvel Legends for the longest time so they've had more opportunity to break--and notes that the older figures of that line do seem to hold up better than the later ones.

She also says that on the whole they don't like the Hasbro figures enough to play with them much, although I don't think she's entirely right because they're pretty fond of Hercules and the Black Knight--I do see her point with Emma Frost and Banshee, though.

Finally, she says that they are probably more careful with the DC Direct lines because they aren't as easy to play with, which may affect breakage.

And she may have a point, but since I'm going by the number of such figures that have been broken in play versus the number that have not, I stand by my list.

Link worth reading

This is one of the sweetest comic-related things I've ever read.

Yeah, okay, that works (Captain America 43 Spoilers)

And no, I don't actually have my copy of Cap in my hands, won't until the end of the month, but I am physiologically incapable of not looking at spoilers on the internet.

That bit when Bucky refers to Black Widow as his best friend, as in "ought to be in bed with my best friend"?

Totally saved the whole Bucky/Widow relationship for me.

Of course they see it as friends with benefits. It makes perfect sense, for both characters.

Quick GL realization

I think I've identified the source of some of Kyle Rayner's appeal.

When other Green Lanterns receive their rings, they've been given a powerful weapon, or a versatile tool. That's how they think of it, that's how they use it.

Kyle?

Seems like such an obvious thing.

So are there any plans for a John Stewart Green Lantern figure in his modern costume and hairdo? I mean, something in roughly 6" scale? And not the JLU model? It's the thing the kids ask about most often when it comes to action figures.

What I Want: The January 09 Marvel Solicitations

Apparently a number of this month's selections are still Big!!! Secrets!!! so I might not have a lot to say about books I know nothing about other than the title.

DARK AVENGERS #1

I'll give it a shot, since it's an Avengers title.


AVENGERS: THE INITIATIVE #21

This one has been consistently pretty good.


DEADPOOL #6

And of course this one has Deadpool. They'd have to do a lot to this one to make us not want it. (That's not a challenge, by the way.)


MIGHTY AVENGERS #21

Well, I get this anyway and generally like it (although all the Avengers-free Avengers we've been seeing lately aren't really to my taste). And while I do like Bendis, Dan Slott writing is an additional selling point.


MS. MARVEL #35

Haven't seen a reason to drop this yet.


NEW AVENGERS #49

Ditto, but am of course hoping to see more Avengers.


AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #582
The Molten Man's powers are out of control, setting the world ablaze around him, and destroying his own body and mind within. This is it, his final and brightest burn. And all he cares about is taking Harry Osborn with him! Can Spider-Man pull his best friend's fat out of this fire? And, with what Harry's been up to, should he? All this plus: a secret surprise from Liz Allan, and a major Spider-Mystery is finally solved.
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #583
YOU ASKED FOR IT, YOU GOT IT! PETER PARKER ON A DATE!
After the revelations of “Mind on Fire”, love is in the air for more than one member of the cast and Pete finally gets some time out with the ladies. (and who better to bring it to you than two men who both had dates as recently as 1987!)
Amidst the romance though, forces are gathering that will spell trouble for Peter in the months to come.
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #584
CHARACTER ASSASSINATION BEGINS!
The climax to the last year’s worth of Spider-man stories starts with a bang as questions are answered and Spidey’s new world is rocked to its core.
Who's the person terrorizing people as Menace? Who's behind the Spider-Tracer Killings? Who's going to be the Mayor of New York City? After more than 365 (Brand New) Days, Marc Guggenheim and John Romita Jr. have all the answers in the first chapter of "Character Assassination" -- a story over a year in the making!

Whoa, descriptive text!

The kids still like it. I personally sometimes forget to read it, but I'm not the Spider-fan around here.


AVENGERS/INVADERS #8 (of 12)
With the real enemy revealed, two teams of Avengers are drawn together for a brutal battle royale. Meanwhile, a secret from the Invaders’ past threatens to destroy the present, upend the chessboard and send several heroes back through the veils of time...perhaps lost forever.

Coolness!--as in, apparently the hero fight is over.


CAPTAIN AMERICA #46
Eisner-Winning artist Steve Epting returns as the New Captain America comes face-to-face with an old ally -- Prince Namor -- on a dangerous trip to China. Can Bucky and Namor team up to save the memory of an old comrade-in-arms as Cold War crimes come back to haunt the Winter Soldier? Part 1 of 3.

Namor, whoo!


CAPTAIN AMERICA: THEATER OF WAR: AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL
The third in a series chronicling the adventures that made Captain America the hero we know today, Paul Jenkins (MYTHOS) does what he does best, weaving a tale of war, brotherhood and legacy. From skinny Steve Rogers at boot camp to the Super-Soldier leading a battalion of men against the Nazis, this is the Captain America you thought you knew but you’ve never seen. And when the choice is between his country or his best friend, this is the decision he had to make.

Oh, why not?


CAPTAIN BRITAIN AND MI13 #9
“Hell Comes to Birmingham”
Captain Britain is reunited with his wife, Meggan! But can they stay together and live through Dr. Plokta’s devastating attack? Also, the Black Knight gives into his darkest urges and comes to grips with the truth about the Ebony Blade. Can he ever turn back to the light? Part 4 (of 4)

Black Knight focus, yay!


MARVEL ADVENTURES THE AVENGERS #32
No matter how powerful you are, how heroic you are, or how beloved you are, you still have to pay taxes. And when the IRS comes knocking on the door to Avengers Tower, it causes all sorts of problems. Luckily, the Avengers can avoid the problematic filing of their real names by helping the IRS collect back taxes on a few deadbeats. Unfortunately, those deadbeats include Bullseye, Man-Bull, the Absorbing Man, Whirlwind, and a certain highly-successful web- designer named Oog---and these guys DON'T want to pay! Action! Adventure! Taxes?

This is of course for the nine-year-old, but it sounds like a fun one. :)


RUNAWAYS #6
“Dead Wrong”
The conclusion of Terry Moore’s (Strangers in Paradise) first heart-wrenching story-arc. It’s the final showdown between Karolina’s fellow Majesdanians and the Runaways. The effects of this will shake the core of the Runaways and change their lives.

For the fourteen-year-old, assuming she's been enjoying it enough to keep getting it.


SHE-HULK #37
Our Gamma-irradiated emerald beauty is facing a United Nations inquiry, and they’re throwing the book at her... Mallory Book that is. Will she pay for the crime of heroism? Will she be forever called a Menace to Society? And hey... didn’t she used to have a friend who was one of those “Secret Invader” types? To everyone’s surprise, old friends—and old enemies—arrive with new developments to complicate She-Hulk’s life.

Haven't not liked She-Hulk yet.


YOUNG X-MEN #10
You think you know everything there is to know about YOUNG X-MEN? Think again. One shocker has been brewing since #1 and the pot peaks with #10. Don’t miss this landmark issue of Young X-Men.

I think the kids and the husband still like this one. It's not one of the ones I put at the top of the stack, myself, but it's generally readable.

What I Want: The January 09 DC Solicitations

You will perhaps notice the absence of Trinity from the list. I've quit again. (I guess I've lost the right to be annoyed with my friends who quit smoking annually...)

FINAL CRISIS #7
The dramatic finale to the epic, seven-part saga of the DC multiverse concludes with an apocalyptic battle for the soul of humanity that must be seen to be believed! Can the heroes of 52 Earths save the multiverse? And is the only way to save it, to change it forever?

I like the multiverse, please don't let "change" mean "eliminate."


SECRET SIX #5
A “Faces of Evil” issue! The tattered remnants of the Six continue their run through the gauntlet of DCU heroes and villains on their race to get their precious (and deadly) cargo to Gotham City. The secret of the mysterious Junior is revealed, and a betrayal from within may spell death for the rest of the team! Also, has a former member returned?

Black Lantern Knockout, I'm guessing? :)


BATMAN #685
A “Faces of Evil” issue starring Catwoman! Continuing from this month’s DETECTIVE COMICS #852, Selina Kyle’s path of vengeance against Hush knows no bounds! After confronting the man responsible for nearly destroying her life, Selina’s wrath propels her into a downward spiral. With Tommy Elliot almost certain to suffer dire consequences, could Catwoman’s humanity be next to perish?

Not sure on this one because I'm really only planning to read Batman through the Hush/RIP thing and I'm not sure this counts.


ROBIN #182
The stunning conclusion to “Search for a Hero” and a “Faces of Evil” issue! In order to stop Anarky, do you impose order with an iron fist or embrace chaos? Or can Robin find a different way? After “Batman R.I.P.,” Gotham City demands a better class of hero, and the new Robin is going to give them exactly what they deserve...

Up to the kids whether we continue with this one.


DETECTIVE COMICS #852
A “Faces of Evil” issue starring Hush! Following the events of "Heart of Hush," this two-part story starts here and ends in the pages of this month’s BATMAN #685. Catwoman has a score to settle with Hush after their most recent encounter, but Hush isn't likely to take any attacks quietly. Will anyone be able to temper Selina's rage, or will she become a face of evil again?

Well, if I'm getting Batman, I'm getting this one too.


BIRDS OF PREY #126
A “Faces of Evil” issue! After The Joker shook up the Silicon Syndicate, the Calculator makes his move! But who in the syndicate may be leaking info to Oracle and her Birds of Prey – and who is the new muscle behind Calculator?

Calculator is generally a fun villain. Not sure about the "Faces of Evil" thing but I guess there's no escaping it.


GREEN LANTERN CORPS #32
A “Faces of Evil” issue! The stunning “Sins of the Star Sapphire” storyline concludes with Kyle Rayner battling Kryb for the soul of Lantern Amnee Pree's baby. Plus, Mongul begins his conquest of a world and a takeover of the Sinestro Corps. What world is at stake and which Lanterns will attempt to stand in his murderous way?

So far I've steadily enjoyed this title.


JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #23
“Black Adam and Isis” part 1 and a “Faces of Evil” issue! The new Justice Society regroups just in time to face one of their greatest and most personal enemies – Black Adam! The sorcerer Felix Faust has imprisoned the soul of Isis, Black Adam's deceased wife. But the Black Marvel just figured that out, and nothing will save Faust from his wrath — nothing except maybe the Justice Society of America. And everybody will be in for a surprise when they discover how Isis has changed since her death at the hands of the Four Horsemen. Will she be a friend to the world – or will she be its destruction?

I think I've mentioned this one elsewhere.


TITANS #9
A “Faces of Evil” issue! With Jericho around, no one is safe. He can hide in plain sight, and he’s far more powerful than he’s ever been before. Even those best equipped to understand and deal with him – his old teammates the Titans – are at a loss this time. What is his ultimate goal, and whom will he possess next to attain it?

Might be a possibility of me dropping this at some point, but not quite yet.


WONDER WOMAN #28
“Rise of the Olympian” part 3 and a “Faces of Evil” issue! The Olympians are on Earth, and they're making their presence felt across the world! The JLA joins forces with Wonder Woman to stop Genocide, but even their combined might isn't enough! And the mysterious power behind The Society is at last revealed!

Likewise. Wonder Woman is one of those things I want to like, but I don't have enough fondness for the character to maintain interest if the stories lag. Recently they've been pretty good, though, so I think it's safe for now.


SCOOBY-DOO #140
When the Mystery, Inc. gang investigates a series of snowbound robberies in this issue reprinting SCOOBY-DOO #103, they find a real live Snowman — and he’s anything but holly and jolly! Plus, a Ghastly Ghoul haunts an apartment building, and a ghost-infested pirate ship!

The nine-year-old's love of Scooby is eternal.


And that is all!

He's not so hopeless

Was reading the blogs today, and came across Just Past the Horizon: Mirrored Plotlines, about the treatment of female characters in Captain America and Daredevil. It's an interesting read despite the fact that I've never given a hang about Daredevil and have never read his title in any of its incarnations, but this passage is what I'm writing about:

That said, I have been meaning to address Bucky’s sexist attitude towards Sharon. He’s the one who kept stating he wanted to help “Cap’s girl.” It’s not really a problem with the writer in my eyes, this is just characterization. Bucky’s from the 1940s. He was raised on an all-male military training base in the 1930s. With that background his attitudes about women are probably just a bit more enlightened than those of Thag the Mammoth Hunter.

That is something I'd noticed as well, and while I'm sure that fresh-to-the-new-century Bucky has his sexist tendencies, I'm not sure that his protective attitude toward Sharon as "Cap's girl" is in that category. He doesn't seem to have any difficulty accepting Natasha as an equal, after all. (And of course he isn't entirely new to the modern era, although a lot of his experiences would have been colored by his Soviet indoctrination.) I think it probably has more to do with the fact that he sees her mainly in terms of her connection with Steve. Plus he hasn't had any opportunity to get to know her as a person--when he first met Sam, he thought of him primarily as Steve's friend, but eventually formed his own connection. Under different circumstances, I imagine he could see her as more than part of Steve's life.

Welcome back?

Among the items listed in this preview of DC's January Solicitations is this:

JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #23
“Black Adam and Isis” part 1 and a “Faces of Evil” issue! The new Justice Society regroups just in time to face one of their greatest and most personal enemies – Black Adam! The sorcerer Felix Faust has imprisoned the soul of Isis, Black Adam's deceased wife. But the Black Marvel just figured that out, and nothing will save Faust from his wrath — nothing except maybe the Justice Society of America. And everybody will be in for a surprise when they discover how Isis has changed since her death at the hands of the Four Horsemen. Will she be a friend to the world – or will she be its destruction?

I'm kind of torn about this one. On the one hand, I really liked the character of Isis in 52. I liked her resolve, I liked her basic goodness, I liked the way she managed to be both strong and sweet without being cloying. I was, unsurprisingly, disappointed in her end. I do realize that she was there primarily to affect Black Adam and not to be a character of her own--but I liked her.

So "everybody will be in for a surprise when they discover how Isis has changed." I can't imagine that I'm the only one who is hoping that she'll be horrified by Adam's actions in her name ("What were you thinking? I was crazy with grief--how could you think I meant this?") but I am pretty sure that won't happen. Because no one can be essentially good. Actually, that's DC's theme this year, isn't it?

Is this a good idea?

Thinking about that Lego Batman game as a possible for the kids this holiday season. I imagine they'd like it--they're big Minimates fans and the Lego characters look somewhat Minimate-ish. And they're reasonably Bat-friendly.

My main concern is whether, if we do this, we'll ever get near the television again.

Cool stuff coming out

According to this, they're going to be reprinting the old Gold Key comics based on the Irwin Allen TV shows from the 60s--Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Time Tunnel, and Land of the Giants.

I am not a huge Irwin Allen fan, but I do have a soft spot for Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (which I caught in syndication, not during its initial run, thankyouverymuch!) and I will probably want that first volume.

What surprises me here, though, is that they don't mention a Lost in Space comic. Did they not make one? That seems like a lost opportunity, since it was easily the most kid-friendly of all the Irwin Allen shows and the one that more people seem to have heard of.

Bat-thoughts

So when I started getting back into comics after about ten years away (this would have been in the early 00s), I of course started out with the titles I'd always known and loved--Avengers, Fantastic Four, Iron Man, Legion of Superheroes. (No X-books, though. Some things, I don't forgive.) I also decided, since the now-fourteen-year-old watched the Batman cartoon that was on at the time, that I'd like to read Batman.

Of course, as anyone more familiar with DC Comics than I was (I'd read nothing but Marvel and the Legion for most of my comic-reading life, so had little knowledge of DC continuity) would have known, "reading Batman" wasn't as simple as all that. There was, of course, Batman. There was Detective. There was a regular title with Superman and Batman. And there were Batman-related miniseries. Oh yeah, there were miniseries, at least one going at any one time and probably more. And none of them seemed to connect with any of the others. I probably kept with it for a year, maybe a little more, maybe a little less. Most of the stories were pretty good. But...as it turns out, I don't care a whole lot about Batman. His supporting cast is another matter--they're a lot of fun. But Batman himself? Kind of leaves me cold.

After that I gave up on the non-LSH DC titles for a while, until a few years ago when the internet told me I should check out things like Green Lantern and the Morrison JLA run. And now about 1/3 of the books I read are DC, go figure.

But none of those have been Batman titles--until the recent RIP/Hush thing. Which I'm getting for reasons other than Batman himself. And you know...I still don't much care about Batman as a character. But his place in the DC universe, that I can see a lot of value in.

Really?

They're canceling Amazing Spider-Girl?

I mean, we don't get it, but I thought it was one of those things other people liked.

Action figure rambling again

DC Universe Classics are spoiling me for DC Direct.

It's the playability thing. I find myself thinking about getting the DC Universe Classics Wonder Woman despite the fact that we already have a very nice DC Direct Wonder Woman--just because the former looks like she might actually be able to sit down.

But then what do we do with the old Wonder Woman? Heck, what do we do with the two Batmans (Batmen?) we have right now?

They're apparently going to be coming out with Beetle and Booster in the Classics line. Which means that I'll be going there rather than to the Giffen-era Justice League DC Direct figures for those guys.

I don't envision myself not buying any more DC Direct figures--they are just too pretty, and there are some awfully obscure items there, which is awesome.. Just that, if the Classics are going to have such a wide range of characters, that will be our first choice.

A happy medium

I was catching up on my blog-reading (it's a hopeless, endless task, but I persevere), and came across Because the middle of the road is no place to sit down at Blog@Newsarama, all about how people tend to expect so little from comics in terms of quality that anything that comes out that's above-average in any way rates unrealistically high praise. Which is both interesting and probably true.

Partly, I'm sure, this is because a number of comic readers seem to be constantly on the defensive about their chosen reading matter, and jump on anything they find that puts that matter in a more sophisticated light. You know, because of that whole comics=kid stuff and/or comics=lowbrow thing.

Now, I am definitely more of a comfort reader (to use a term brought up in the comment section of the above link) when it comes to my comics. I do pick up new things, start reading new characters, but they're generally going to be of the same type as the superhero books I've read all my life. It's what I like, and I don't feel a need to apologize for it. Never have. (Anyone who, twenty years ago, brought Legion of Superheroes to high school to read during study hall clearly isn't too worried about what people think. :))

The division between popular culture and big-C Culture has been with us for...well, forever. And, often, it's the popular culture that comes out on top in terms of audience and money-making. (Thus the term "popular.") This trend has only become more pronounced with the increased compartmentalization of society.

But I'm starting to ramble. What I meant to get at is that iff mediocrity is what you usually find in comic books, it's pretty much the same situation as in any other media. I haven't noticed any growing trend toward excellence in television or movies--on the whole, what you find most often is what's average. (Mathematically speaking, that only makes sense.) I really think that the tendency to over-praise adequate comics comes from the novelty of the notion that comics can aspire to excellence.

Even I can see the problem with this one

So I saw this article at Newsarama, called "Marvel Tees Up." It's about a new line of Marvel-themed t-shirts, aimed at young women. And I thought, "Hey, cool!" Because I've got a teen daughter who has been known to wear superhero t-shirts in the past, when she's been able to find them.

And I go to the link, and at first glance I'm thinking that this is definitely the style of t-shirt she likes--they've got that sort of fake-vintage look to them. The imagery is mostly Silver Age. They're cute, definitely. And I'm hoping that they aren't too pricey because I may end up purchasing some.

Then I look more closely at the actual shirts.

A Captain America shirt: "My boyfriend is a super hero!"
The Human Torch: "My boyfriend is hotter than yours!"
Magneto: "My ex-boyfriend is a villain!"
Reed Richards: "Searching for my Mr. Fantastic!"
A grouping of assorted heroes: "I only date super heroes!"

They're not all like that. A lot are, in fact, just really nice superhero t-shirts.

And exactly one of them features one of Marvel's superheroines. (Two if you count the tank top with an X-Men cover on it, which I don't.) It's Storm, incidentally.

Now, when I said that my daughter has some superhero t-shirts, what I meant is that she's got a couple featuring Wonder Woman and another with the Supergirl logo and some text about Supergirl saving the world. (And it's green, not pink, but I digress.) I don't mean that she'd only ever want superheroine shirts--she'd probably love a shirt featuring her fave hero, although I don't see Deadpool there. But in the past, that's what she's gone for.

I can only conclude that, despite what the article is saying, young women are not really the market for these shirts. Girls who read comics don't read them because they envision the characters as "boyfriends," and girls who don't read comics certainly don't do so. These are shirts for male comic fans to give their girlfriends, or they're shirts for young women to buy to please their comic fan boyfriends. Otherwise, why all the external focus?

As I said, there are a number of shirts there that would please a young woman who is buying them because she, herself, likes comic books (or the iconic imagery), but probably nearly half of these things are boyfriend-themed. For some reason, I found this surprising.

Never say never

I've never been particularly intrigued by the idea of getting my comics digitally because I like paper. I like to hold the comics in my hands and turn the pages. I like getting a nice box of comics once a month, sorting out the kids' books and handing them over, and taking out the two or three titles I most want to read and putting them at the top of the stack. I like all those physical aspects of comic reading.

So, although I've seen some good cost-based and storage-based arguments in favor of digital comics, I've never seriously considered the possibility, much less wished I could get them like that. I haven't seen anything presented as a potential of digital comics that got me excited.

But there is something that could.

I'm middle-aged, and I've got poor eyesight. It isn't getting any better. It can't be corrected much more than it is right now. I can read my comics all right (with the occasional exception of some particularly small-fonted captioning), but I am concerned that, someday, that may not be the case.

And that's where, possibly, digital comics might come in. If it ever comes to a point where it's hard to read my on-paper comics, it might be that I can continue my hobby by changing over to digital--because, presumably, with digital you can zoom images.

That would be a selling point for me, certainly, but considering the aging of comic fandom I'm guessing I wouldn't be the only one.

Other Reasons to Drop a Comic Book

Yesterday I wrote a brief post on why I recently dropped the Moon Knight title, the gist of which involved my realization that I hadn't even bothered to read the thing in three months.

Here are some other good reasons to drop a comic:

The title character dies. (Captain America excepted.)

The price goes up to something you consider unreasonable. This will vary with the consumer, and vary with the title. (Hasn't happened yet but I expect it to, if and when prices go up across the board.)

The book will be available in trade form, and you have the patience to wait. (Hasn't happened to me yet, but patience isn't one of my more notable characteristics.)

It starts to feel more like a chore than a pleasure to read the book. (That's what happened with me and Iron Man and Fantastic Four.)

Too many crossovers! (That's what happened with me and every x-book in the 90s. I still won't touch them.)

Character overdose! (That's what happened with me a few years back, when I decided to read every damn thing Batman was appearing in at the time. Whoa.)

Origins and old storylines retconned to the point where the characters just aren't the same characters. (That's what happened with me and the current Legion of Superheroes run.)

A new title turns out to be not as much fun as expected/hoped for. (That's what happened with Trinity.)

A title changes enough with a change in writer/artist that you just don't find it worth getting anymore. (That's what happened with All-New Atom. I still like the character, just not $3/month worth of like.)

Your mileage may vary.

Reasons to drop a comic

I think I'm going to stop getting Moon Knight. Why? Because I just realized that I haven't read it in three months. I've got those issues in the house, but I haven't bothered to open them up. And while these days I don't usually get through the whole box on the day it arrives, I do generally read everything before the next month's box is here. I've read everything else that's come into the house. (Well, okay, not the Scooby Doo books. I'm only human, you know.) At some point you have to look at your comic reading habits and learn from them.

So as of right now my last issue of MK is #24. We'll see whether internet hype can talk me back into it!

But that trick never works!

So I see where DC is going to cancel the current Legion of Superheroes title with issue #50.

Okay, I'm no one to talk here--I gave up on this book fairly early on. I might add that, generally speaking, I tend to be a Legion fan who will stick with them through hell, high water, confusion and clones. I love the Legion, have for thirty-plus years. And yet, this incarnation just didn't do it for me. They weren't "my" Legion. Even bringing in Jim Shooter didn't get me to bite the hook again. And I've got a reasonable tolerance for comic change, most of the time. So I'm not sure that I'm really expressing surprise at this announcement, because clearly I'm evidence that some folks just didn't much like the book.

However, it doesn't seem as if sales were all that bad. So I have to assume that canceling the title has to do with beginning something new for the Legion. As an old-timer, I'd be lying if I didn't say I was hoping, just a little, for the return of the old Legion seen in the current Justice League title. The one I grew up with. However, they're all grown up now as well--they were all adults before their run ended. And, much as I enjoyed that, I think there's really something sort of core about the Legion being a young group.

So I suppose, in a while, I'll be trying out a new Legion book. We'll see whether this one sticks.

I officially can't wait for this! (Avengers/Invaders Spoilers)

There's a preview of Avengers/Invaders #5 up at Newsarama, and while I don't usually comment on previews beyond "Hey, cool!" or "This looks good," this time I have a couple of thoughts on what I'm looking at there.

First of all, the second preview page features one of those nifty listings for each participating team, and New Captain America (presumably so named in order to differentiate him from Invaders Cap, although I can't help thinking "New Coke") is listed among the New Avengers. I'm not sure whether that's because he's actually joining, or because there's nowhere else to put him, but I'm glad to see that he's not among the Mighties because that would just be wrong.

Also, and this was for some reason a complete surprise to me--that scene with New Cap trying to warn Bucky not to try to disarm Zemo's bomb was very affecting. He has to realize that it won't work and shouldn't work, but the fact that he'd try to do that, even knowing what it could do to history, says something about where his head is at.

Finally, I'm wondering just when this takes place with respect to the Captain America book. Because I'm guessing that if New Cap is with the New Avengers and Black Widow is with the Mighties, they may not be as friendly here as they have been there.

DC Universe Classics Nightwing and Robin Action Figures

DC and Marvel do roughly the same thing with regard to action figures--they have one line that are primarily display objects for collectors (DC Direct and Marvel Select) and one that are more usable as toys (DC Universe Classics and Marvel Legends). We enjoy both around here, and while I do love the prettiness of DC Direct, I have to admit that I'm very happy when I get a figure that can actually do something.

Nightwing and Robin are both quite playable, very posable and reasonably flexible. Nightwing's lack of a cape is an additional plus (of course that's a costume issue, nothing to do with the toy design) because it means he can sit down or ride in a car. They've got all the usual jointing--shoulders and hips that rotate out, knees and elbows and ankles that bend easily, wrists and waists that turn, backs that can arch, and those turns at bicep and mid-thigh that are surprisingly useful. The necks turn back and forth but you cannot move them on an angle (no cocked heads, no looking up or down). The hands are made to grasp their weaponry, which is understandable (and in terms of playability, preferable to having a gun stuck on there permanently) but not ideal.

As for scale, Robin is, obviously, quite a bit smaller than Nightwing, his head barely coming to Nightwing's shoulder. On the one hand, it seems a bit shorter than it ought to be and makes him seem rather younger than he is. On the other hand, it's a far better solution to the issue of teen hero body type than Marvel Legends used with their dreadful Bucky figure, so I won't complain.

They're also nice-looking figures overall. Both are a bit more heavily muscled than I'd have considered likely, particularly Robin, but the head sculpts are nice and costumes are well done. I don't think there are any real complaints here.

They also come with some nice accessories, something that my kids love--Robin has a staff and two batarangs, while Nighting has two batons and back holsters for them. Very nice, even if they do tend to fall out.

All in all, good additions to our little Bat-Family of action figures.

That 50 Comics Meme

All right, I am doing this meme based on that list of "50 Things that Every Great Comics Collection Needs to Have."

I am, of course, not really a comic collector so much as I am a comic reader, and therefore I feel less guilty than I probably should about the one-sidedness of the list of comics I possess. However, most of the people who've done this meme actually have a pretty awesome collection, so I thought I'd skew the data by being someone who really doesn't, thus displaying my own shameless lameness. Still, there's a lot on that list that I don't have that I sure do wish I did.


Leave Plain = Things I don't have
Make Bold = Things I do have
Italics = I have some but probably not enough (optional)
Underline = I don't agree I need this (optional)

1. Something From The ACME Novelty Library
2. A Complete Run Of Arcade
3. Any Number Of Mini-Comics
4. At Least One Pogo Book From The 1950s
5. A Barnaby Collection
6. Binky Brown and the Holy Virgin Mary
7. As Many Issues of RAW as You Can Place Your Hands On

8. A Little Stack of Archie Comics
It would take some digging but I think I could lay my hands on some of these, mainly 60s-70s era books.

9. A Suite of Modern Literary Graphic Novels
10. Several Tintin Albums

11. A Smattering Of Treasury Editions Or Similarly Oversized Books
Several, including one featuring the Legion of Superheroes. I actually never cared much for this format, even as a kid--it was hard to find a comfortable way to sit and read them--but you definitely got a better look at the art than usual, which was fun.

12. Several Significant Runs of Alternative Comic Book Series
13. A Few Early Comic Strip Collections To Your Taste
14. Several "Indy Comics" From Their Heyday

15. At Least One Comic Book From When You First Started Reading Comic Books
I have well over one of these. :)

16. At Least One Comic That Failed to Finish The Way It Planned To
17. Some Osamu Tezuka
18. The Entire Run Of At Least One Manga Series

19. One Or Two 1970s Doonesbury Collections
I think just the one. My brother had more, so I read his and didn't have to get them.

20. At Least One Saul Steinberg Hardcover
21. One Run of A Comic Strip That You Yourself Have Clipped

22. A Selection of Comics That Interest You That You Can't Explain To Anyone Else
I am sure that this is true of something I own, although honestly, I kind of doubt that any narrow comic interest anyone has is really all that narrow.

23. At Least One Woodcut Novel

24. As Much Peanuts As You Can Stand
I actually can't stand as much Peanuts as a lot of folks seem to be able to, because I burned out on them as a kid when we had so many stacks of those little paperbacks. I've got a few, though. And sometimes you're just in the mood.

25. Maus
I have the first volume, and I had the second until I loaned it to a nice young goth boy a few years back. I may or may not get it back, but I think this still counts as having it.

26. A Significant Sample of R. Crumb's Sketchbooks
27. The original edition of Sick, Sick, Sick.
28. The Smithsonian Collection Of Newspaper Comics

29. Several copies of MAD
I've actually probably got quite a few 70s MADs. Also some CRACKEDs.

30. A stack of Jack Kirby 1970s Comic Books
Well, duh.

31. More than a few Stan Lee/Jack Kirby 1960s Marvel Comic Books
Well, also duh.

32. A You're-Too-High-To-Tell Amount of Underground Comix

33. Some Calvin and Hobbes
Somewhere, but I know I've got at least one--although this is kind of like the Doonesbury thing in that I usually borrowed my brother's.

34. Some Love and Rockets
35. The Marvel Benefit Issue Of Coober Skeber
36. A Few Comics Not In Your Native Tongue
37. A Nice Stack of Jack Chick Comics

38. A Stack of Comics You Can Hand To Anybody's Kid
There are probably some old Richie Rich and Casper books out in the barn, maybe even some Disney Scrooge comics. Alternatively, we've got some old Teen Titans Go, and the nine-year-old has a good-sized stack of Scooby and Marvel Adventures Avengers.

39. At Least A Few Alan Moore Comics
Possibly just the Watchmen trade.

40. A Comic You Made Yourself
41. A Few Comics About Comics
42. A Run Of Yummy Fur
43. Some Frank Miller Comics
44. Several Lee/Ditko/Romita Amazing Spider-Man Comic Books
45. A Few Great Comics Short Stories
46. A Tijuana Bible
47. Some Weirdo

48. An Array Of Comics In Various Non-Superhero Genres
Again, I couldn't lay my hands on them right away but I know they're there.

49. An Editorial Cartoonist's Collection or Two
50. A Few Collections From New Yorker Cartoonists


And, since folks are also adding to the list...

Everyone ought to have The Spirit (the original) in some form.
And then there's Shooter's original LSH run.
Also, everyone ought to have a bit of Hembeck. :)

The Bat-Room

Pic courtesy of the fourteen-year-old, who put every Bat-related character we've got in the same room of the action figure house, including both Earth-1 and Earth-2 Huntresses. It's quite a crowd.

DC Direct Hush Alfred Action Figure

This is possibly the least active action figure I've ever seen--the Hush series, clearly made for display rather than play (not that there's anything wrong with that) tend this way, but poor Alfred really isn't very mobile. It's not a surprise, and not a great disappointment, although it does require a little warning speech for the nine-year-old not to try to bend him too much.

Alfred was actually a request from the kids, specifically the fourteen-year-old, who has been wanting a Jarvis for ages but will settle for an Alfred for now. Alfred is jointed at elbow and knee. The shoulder doesn't move out at all, just up and down, but this is usual for this series. Due to his awesome suit, he certainly can't sit, managing only a slight bow, but I don't suppose Alfred does a lot of sitting in any case. The wrists turn, which gives him some playability that would otherwise be lacking because he'll be able to carry a tray without dropping it.

He is an absolutely gorgeous figure. I've been very pleased with the appearance of all the Hush figures we've gotten--I really think these are some of the nicest things DC Direct has put out, at least in terms of looks. The suit is wonderful, and the joints actually look good, which is rare for an action figure who isn't wearing something skin-tight. The face is perfect.

Oh, and in case you're wondering why the kids wanted Alfred, it's because they don't always play superheroes with the superheroes. They also spend a lot of time hanging out at home, reading magazines, playing pool, sitting at the bar, or just relaxing. Having Alfred around will add all sorts of coolness to this sort of play.

I love you guys!

On the whole, I am not a Serious Blogger. I'm more of a Social Blogger--I'm here to talk a little bit about the things I like and to read a little bit about the things other people like. I do have some depth and intellect, believe it or not, but I don't all that often apply it to my comic hobby.

But I read it all. If it's a blog about mainstream superhero comics, I'll read it. And for the most part, I like it all. I'm not picky. (Some might say I'm not discerning, which is probably also true.) I like the funny stuff and the analytic stuff. I like the easy stuff and the hard stuff. I like the stuff I agree with and I am at least entertained by the stuff I don't agree with. I am still, after several years, just so thrilled to be surrounded by other people who like comics (they're hard to come by in real life, believe me!) that that overshadows anything else.

I'm just happy to be here. Thank you for being here too.

Well, we'll settle for now.

Saw this about a new Green Lantern movie, featuring Hal Jordan.

I've got to say I'm surprised. I'd kind of assumed that--despite perceived Superfriends associations--John Stewart would have been the logical GL to make it to the big screen. He's the most well-known among the younger crowd, because of the more recent Justice League cartoon. My daughters are quite fond of John, particularly the fourteen-year-old. They don't much care about Hal.

I imagine it has to do with the origin, though. The non-Hal Lanterns do sort of depend on their having been a Hal--they were backups or replacements or whatever. Their origins include his.

So, for a first Green Lantern movie, I suppose Hal makes sense.

Time comes for a sequel, though, I expect to see John!

Lost opportunities

So I'm perusing Comic Book Resources today, looking at the latest comic convention coverage, and I come across this Bendis quote from the Marvel panel:

A fan called for the return of footnotes in comics, giving an example of a recent event in “New Avengers” that confused him and made him wish for some exposition. Bendis pointed out that the footnotes have been replaced by Wikipedia.

That's a joke, right?

Because I've got to say that Marvel's footnotes used to be a real selling tool. I can't count the number of times, as a kid, I'd see something like "To find out why Iron Man isn't wearing any pants, pick up the latest issue of Marvel Team-Up!" and run right out to search for the footnoted title. Seriously, I did that a lot. (Easily swayed, that was me as a kid. :)) Probably still would...if there were such footnotes to send me out looking!

Resigned to the inevitable

You know, if you'd told 16-year-old me that a day would come when I'd be buying four different Avengers titles, 16-year-old me would have been ecstatic.

Somehow that's not quite my current reaction.

But it's okay.